Skip to main content

Articles Tagged With:

  • Biomarker Enhances Screening for Atrial Fibrillation

    A large Swedish population study of screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) in 75-year-old individuals that was enhanced by N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) stratification did not identify more AF cases or prevent thromboembolic outcomes compared to unscreened control subjects. However, a low NT-proBNP (< 125 ng/L) did identify individuals at low risk for AF and thromboembolic events in whom screening could be safely forfeited.

  • A New Drug for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction?

    The addition of the nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone to standard therapy reduced the incidence of recurrent heart failure and death compared to placebo in patients with heart failure and mildly reduced or preserved left ventricular ejection fraction and was generally well tolerated.

  • Infectious Disease Updates

    ID: An Arbiter of Death? Preventing Recurrent UTI with Probiotics

  • Pediatric Pneumonia, Diagnostic Uncertainty, and Communication

    Community-acquired pneumonia is a common cause of hospitalization among children in resourced countries and is the leading cause of childhood death in lower-income countries. However, the diagnosis of pneumonia is fraught with uncertainty, and management practices vary widely. Clinician behaviors and attributes that engender trust in the face of diagnostic uncertainty have been documented.

  • Diagnostic Uncertainty in Community-Acquired Pneumonia

    A national retrospective cohort study from the Veterans Administration found a high rate of diagnostic discordance for patients admitted and discharged for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Improvement in the diagnosis of CAP is needed.

  • Mucormycosis Remains Highly Lethal

    Mucormycosis continues to be associated with a high mortality rate. Polymerase chain reaction may speed diagnosis and allow earlier initiation of therapy. There appears to be no evidence supporting the use of combination as opposed to single agent (liposomal amphotericin B) therapy.

  • Outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease in Rwanda

    A rising number of cases of Marburg virus disease, which is caused by one of the most virulent human pathogens, have been reported in Rwanda. Marburg virus infections in humans are rare but can present with a rapidly progressive febrile illness that can lead to multi-organ failure and shock with case-fatality rates of up to 80% to 90%.

  • Ethical Approaches Can Protect Patients from Financial Harm

    When patients cannot afford medications, clinicians face a challenging ethical dilemma.

  • Clinicians Reach Out to Both Chaplains and Ethicists

    Ethicists can take the opportunity to partner with chaplains when meeting with families or caregivers to listen, explore, and support.

  • Ethics of Informed Consent for Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Studies

    Randomized comparative effectiveness studies often compare treatments within the standard of care to determine which is better for patients. When research and clinical care are combined in this way, healthcare providers can be confused about what is required in terms of obtaining consent for enrollment in the research study.